


The First Time

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cane, Corporal Punishment, Gen, Hogwarts, Marauders era, Memory, Pre-Book(s), prank, semi-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-24
Updated: 2014-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-26 20:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2665871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus is nervous, Peter is a cry-baby, James is too reliant on his cloak and Sirius is casual. All are about to be caned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The First Time

**Author's Note:**

> I do not condone corporal punishment against children, or anyone for that matter.

Caning was rather a touchy subject at Hogwarts.

Although it was eventually banned in 1979 (James Potter had lamented that it was banned so soon after he left – couldn't they have done it just a few years earlier?) it was a long battle for Dumbledore. It was considered an issue that affected all students and teachers, and thus the school governors had to be considered. Every year, Professor Dumbledore would submit the idea of it being banned, and every year the governors would vote to retain it. It was one of the few issues that really frustrated Dumbledore, though he never let it be known, or some of the more...'stubborn'...members of the board might have voted even more firmly to keep it. All Dumbledore could do was limit it- as soon as he became headmaster, he informed that the cane was to be used only in extreme circumstances, and the maximum of eight strokes could be applied. Ravenclaw consistently had the most canings per year, due to their high expectations, while Hufflepuff had the fewest.

That was, of course, before James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew arrived at Hogwarts.

* * *

 

“I'm _bored_.” Sirius whined, for perhaps the thirtiest time that day. Snow was falling thickly onto the grounds of Hogwarts, and no one liked to go outside – it had gone beyond simple snowfall and into a true snow-in, with Herbology lessons being reduced to theory within a spare classroom, and even Hagrid having been driven inside.

“Do some homework.” Remus suggested, not bothering to look up from his Potions essay. “I know for a fact you haven't done your Astronomy chart yet.”

“Do you want me to _die_ of boredom, Remus?” Sirius asked, glowering half-humorously at Remus. “Astronomy is the worst!”

“We could go for a little wander.” James suggested, putting down his quill and taking a moment to skim through his Transfiguration questions. “I've got the cloak.”

Peter finally looked up from his own Astronomy chart, with which he was being very inventive. “We can't! McGonagall said we'd be in big trouble if she caught us out after curfew again!”

James snorted, and while he spoke cheerfully enough, he was more than slightly patronising. “We've got the cloak, Pete, we'd be fine. If not, I'll take the fall.”

Sirius jumped up from his armchair. “Come on then, Potter, I'm game. Remus, Peter?”

Remus sighed heavily, but stood up obediently. “My mum already doesn't like you two.” he told them, shoving his work into his bag, which he tucked under the sofa for safekeeping. “She thinks that you'll lead me into trouble.”

Sirius laughed. “It's not us you have to worry about, it's Peter – he's such a daredevil, he drags us into his madcap plans all the time.”

All four boys laughed, though Peter felt a slight tinge of resentment at the teasing. Careful to avoid detection, the four slipped under James's invisibility cloak and left the common room with no real plan for the night.

* * *

 

“I know what we can do.” James whispered to the other three as they took a brief break in a small, musty alcove. “I've got some dungbombs, we could put them in with Snivelly's potion supplies, maybe smear some around his cauldron.”

Peter laughed loudly, but was immediately shushed by all three of his friends. “Brilliant!” he whispered. Remus didn't seem so sure.

“He hasn't actually done or said anything to deserve this one.” he flatly said to his friends. Sirius shrugged.

“He's bound to do something tomorrow, he takes great pleasure in pissing us off. We might as well get a head start!”

Remus rolled his eyes but said no more, merely following the others when they began to walk again. They were so  _stupid_ at times, but they were brilliant friends, and Remus was hesitant to go against them or argue with them too much in case he lost them. As they approached the dungeon, they reached an area where the cobbled ground was rough, and where many students tripped every day, even seasoned seventh year students who had walked over it hundreds of times. Peter, who was no more seasoned than anyone else and was also incredibly clumsy, took that moment to fall over, taking the cloak down with him and leaving the other three entirely exposed. The clatter that he made was awfully loud, and they were within very close proximity of Professor Slughorn's quarters.

“Quick, quick, get up!” Sirius hissed, yanking Peter up. The four flung the cloak back over themselves and stood stock-still, pressing their bodies tightly against the wall in their nerves. After a few seconds, Slughorn did amble out, his eyes still squinted with sleep and his body clad in traditional blue and white striped pyjamas.

“Who's there?” he called, looking around blindly. When no one responded, he shrugged to himself and re-entered his quarters, muttering to himself. Remus let out an audible sigh of relief, while James gave Peter a little push.

“Be careful in future, Peter, I don't particularly want to get caught and whacked.”

Remus made a low, strangled noise. “Do you think we'll get the cane if we're caught?”

“Probably.” Sirius replied, his voice incredibly low and quiet. “I think that's what McGonagall meant by 'big trouble', yes.”

As they continued down into the potions room, Remus sighed once more to himself: why oh  _why_ did he always get dragged into these things?

* * *

 

Sirius sniggered as he went to smear a dungbomb around Snape's cauldron: instead of an empty cauldron like he had assumed, it was full almost to the brim with a silky green potion.

“I'd forgotten that it had to brew!” he crowed, grinning. He glanced at James, who nodded slightly, before throwing a dungbomb into the potion with all of his might. There was a moment where nothing happened, and then catastrophe. An impressive explosion of potion showered the room, before the cauldron cracked and splatted against the wall with a hugely loud ' _thump!_ '.

“Oh no oh no oh no.” Remus groaned. Peter giggled nervously, while Sirius cursed under his breath. James did nothing, merely watch the interesting colours that the potion was turning.

“Who's there?”

Damn. Slughorn pushed the door to the dungeon open and ran in, brandishing an umbrella in defence. To their shock and horror he walked straight towards them, and plucked off the invisibility cloak with one movement.

“If you're going to use an invisibility cloak, make sure you cover your feet.” he told them, before tossing the cloak at James. “Now, come on, I think Professor McGonagall will want to see you.”

The four small boys followed Professor Slughorn up and out of the dungeon, having a speedy whispered conference.

“I'll take the blame for you, Remus.” Sirius firmly said. “You didn't want to come along anyway.”

“You won't, that's not fair!” Remus immediately replied. “Take the blame for Peter if you're going to take it for anyone, he's shaking like a leaf.”

“How many do you think we'll get?” James nervously asked, twitching from foot to foot as he walked, his whole body rocking.

“My cousin Andromeda said that they usually give two to first timers, sometimes three.” Sirius told him, folding his arms across his chest in a protective motion.

“We might not even get the cane.” Remus hopefully said, but with downcast eyes. He knew that there was probably no possibility of that.

* * *

 

“How _dare_ you deliberately ruin another student's potion!” McGonagall whispered furiously, glaring at the four boys in front of her. Both Peter and Remus were close to tears after the long, quiet telling-off that the four had just gotten, while James and Sirius stayed firm.

“But, Professor, we weren't-” James started, only to be halted by a single finger held up by the irate Professor.

“You weren't trying to ruin the potion? You put a dungbomb in it, it wasn't going to help it, was it?”

“No, Professor.” James admitted, clasping his hands together. Why wouldn't she just get it over with?

“You four can come back here tomorrow morning before breakfast, and I'll cane all four of you.” McGonagall hissed. The reaction was immediate: Sirius sucked in air through his teeth, James's head snapped down to stare at the floor, Peter burst into tears and Remus wrapped his arms tightly around himself, blushing furiously, his eyes watery.

“You may well cry now, but it's too late to rectify the potion that you ruined! Now come on, I'll escort you back to Gryffindor.”

* * *

 

All four of the boys were sincerely glad that Frank Longbottom was away in the hospital ward, for it gave them a chance for a little privacy. As soon as they got back to the dormitory, Remus flung himself melodramatically onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow.

“Are you okay, Remus?” Peter cautiously asked, patting him on the back with great care. Remus ignored him, but reached out and pulled the curtains around his bed in one smooth movement.

“Leave him for a bit.” Sirius advised. “My brother's always the same.”

“When?” James asked curiously.

“When our father's about to cane us.” he replied casually.

“Your father canes you?” Peter exclaimed, staring at Sirius. “Mine's never even hit me!”

“Well aren't you a lucky boy?” Sirius replied, sarcasm lacing his voice heavily. “Yes, he does.”

James rested a hand on Peter's shoulder, as if to silently tell him to shut up, before sitting on his own bed.

“At least it'll be over quickly.” he said, scrambling to find something good about their predicament. “Not like when we were in detention with Filch until three in the morning!”

Sirius nodded. “I doubt she'll hit hard anyway. She's about a hundred and three.”

Peter, Sirius and James all shared a laugh, before retiring to their own beds. None slept well that night.

* * *

 

The next morning, the four got up a little earlier to allow time to get their caning over with before breakfast. Remus was extremely jittery, his nervous energy expressing itself in odd leaps and jumps about the dormitory.

“Of course she has to give it to us in the morning.” James suddenly groaned. “We have to sit down all day!”

“Even in Herbology!” Peter replied, indicating out of the window where the snow had reached depths of well over two feet. 

“I've got some cauldron cakes, we could have breakfast here.” Sirius offered, before wrinkling his nose. “I don't really want Snivelly looking down his great greasy nose at us, either.”

Remus glanced at his watch. Five to seven. “We should probably be going now.”

The four walked as slowly as possible towards Professor McGonagall's office, their feet scraping against the floor as they trudged onwards. When they finally arrived, they stared at the door for a moment, contemplating their doom.

“I'll knock.” Sirius offered, before rapping firmly on the door.

“Come in.”

The four entered, and were all alarmed to see Professor McGonagall already armed with a thin, whippy-looking rattan cane, a leather armchair having been pushed into the middle of the room. She didn't seem interested in small talk.

“Who's first?”

The four glanced at each other, and with a sigh, Sirius stepped forwards, bending over the arm of the chair with the ease of someone who had done it many times before. Remus, James and Peter all watched: they couldn't help it. Having never witnessed nor experienced it before, they were transfixed, especially because they knew that they were in for it.

_ Whack! Whack! Whack! _

Sirius barely reacted to the three, though they were eye-wateringly hard to the others. When she instructed, he jumped up and walked back over to the other three, his gait only slightly impaired by the hard strokes just given. Remus, who was shaking like a leaf, stepped forwards before anyone else could. He needed to get it over with. Chewing his chapped lip, he flung himself over the arm of the chair and clutched the wrinkled brown surface, nervously awaiting it. He didn't have to wait for long.

_ Whack! Whack! Whack! _

Remus gasped at the pain of the first stroke and began to cry on the second, tears falling down his cheeks and onto the surface of the brown leather. As soon as the third had been applied, he jumped up and dashed back over to his friends, wincing at the pain. James reacted in much the same way as Remus, to their surprise, his tears mixing on the surface of the sofa with the taller, lankier boy's own. Peter was the worst to watch. Unused to even the gentlest of physical chastisement, he screeched upon the first stroke, drumming his legs against the armchair. McGonagall applied the final two even faster than she had for the other three boys, but he still cried out loudly on each one, tears dribbling down his face and onto the armchair at an alarming rate.

“I don't want to see any of you in here again.” McGonagall instructed as she dismissed the boys, sincerely doubting in her own mind that her preference would be a reality.

* * *

 

“Well, it wasn't that bad, was it?” Sirius cheerfully asked once they were out of earshot of the office, giving his buttocks a cursory rub. The other three all stared at him.

“It was horrible!” James exclaimed, tears still on his face. He fiercely wiped them away. Remus was still quietly crying to himself, not bothering to hide his tears, while Peter was an absolute wreck. Sirius's cheeky grin faded.

“I've got some bruise salve in my bag.” he offered, watching his three friends with concern. “That'll help.”

Once they got into the dormitory, Sirius offered the salve to Peter, who modestly turned away from the other three and rubbed some in. There was no sigh of relief, however.

“Are you sure this is bruise salve? It didn't help at all.” Peter replied, throwing the salve back to Sirius. Sirius squinted at the label, before sighing heavily.

“If the cane was enchanted, this won't help. We'd need a much better salve, one that's got resistance to enchantments like that.”

Remus was still crying, but had reached the gulpy stage that signified he was coming to an end of his tears.

“I'm never, _ever_ doing that again.” he firmly said.

* * *

 

“Did the four of you ever get it again?” Harry asked curiously, grinning at Remus and Sirius, who were sat together on the other side of the huge, scrubbed dinner table at 12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius snorted, while Remus sighed. 

“I got it six more times with the three of them.” Remus told him, giving Sirius a significant glance. “Your father and Sirius got it a few more times on top of that.”

“It wasn't so bad, though, Moony, was it? Even you admitted after the first one that it wasn't as bad as you expected.”

Remus shrugged, before turning to Harry. “Consider yourself lucky that it's banned, that's all I say, Harry.”

 

 


End file.
